Diet after bariatric surgery: The “Why” and “How” of it
A qualified surgeon will only recommend a weight loss surgery when he is completely sure about the fact that the previous weight loss measures adopted by you had completely failed. And, previous weight measures here imply diet and exercise. He will only recommend a surgical procedure when the patient (apart from meeting basic qualifications for the surgery) will be able to furnish proof pointing towards the fact that he had tried proper diet and exercise in order to lose weight but failed.
What bariatric surgery entails
There are primarily four types of bariatric surgery which can be performed – namely, gastric bypass, sleeve gastrectomy, lap band and Bilopancreatic Diversion or BPD. The common purpose of these four different procedures is to limit the amount of food consumed by you by making the size of the stomach smaller.
Diet after surgery
Depending on the type of surgery you choose, you might as well end up losing up to 50 to 80% of the excess weight. However, please remember that you can only procure results when you are actually ready to introduce certain lifestyle changes. Yes, you need to remember that bariatric surgery does not really work in isolation. In fact, it cannot yield results if you are not ready to introduce dietary changes in your life and exercise on a regular basis as well. We will acquaint you with the diet after bariatric surgery here.
Now, the important thing to note here is that the surgeon is already limiting the amout of food intake by reducing the size of your stomach. On top of that, he is also telling you what to eat.
Types of Surgery
A gastric bypass surgery entails the surgeon dividing your liver into two halves and then joining the upper part (now the size of the pouch) with the middle part of the small intestine. The reduced size of the stomach can now hold less than half of what you ate.
With sleeve gastrectomy more than 75% of your stomach is severed. When the surgeon performs an Adjustable Gastric Band surgery, he ties a gas band around the stomach. The upper part resembles a pouch which can only hold up to half or one cup of food. In case, you end up consuming more there is every chance of you throwing up.
What should you eat after bariatric surgery and how should you eat it?
So what about diet after bariatric surgery? Here are a few helpful guidelines. Make sure you are going through the same in order to be duly guided in this regard:
A surgeon will definitely advise you to consume food including low calories, fat and sugar. Bread, rice, fresh fruits, meats and raw vegetables are a few options that should be avoided at any cost. Your surgeon will also offer you advice regarding the way in which you should consume food:
- Eat in small proportions and concentrate on balanced diet
- Maintain a daily record of your protein and calorie intake – and, preferably your food portions
- Do not chew ice or use straws since they can turn out to be possible causes of discomfort for your air pouch
- The daily caloric intake should not cross 1,000 units
- Chew your food thoroughly
- Eat slowly
Back up your dietary regime with a soild exercises and you’re home! Your journey to weight loss is complete!